The present invention is directed, in general, to teaching systems and, more specifically, to a system and method of developing a curriculum for stimulating cognitive processing.
In the early days of education, Educators assumed that when students first attended school, the students had adequate vision and hearing. Over time this assumption was not necessarily the case. This led to the schools testing the visual and auditory acuity of students so families can be advised if there are impairments that require attention. Education disciplines then assumed that if students had normal visual and auditory acuity it was their responsibility to learn the content provided by their teachers. Again, the assumption was proven to be false.
Research determined that specific levels of sensory-cognitive processing are at least as critical to learning as specific levels of sensory acuity. With the advent of sensory-cognitive measures, educators have the capability to determine if students are processing sensory information consciously enough at the central level to be able to learn, think, and reason. Pribram, in xe2x80x9cBrain and perception: Holonomy and structure in figural process,xe2x80x9d by Pribram (1991), which is hereby incorporated by reference, clarified this cognitive aspect of perception when he observed that individuals cannot think about something of which they are not consciously aware, and cannot be aware of something not perceived sufficiently at the sensory level to come to consciousness.
A human brain can only receive information from the senses. How individuals can react to this information at the central level significantly affects whether the individual can acquire new concepts and learn quickly and easily, at an average rate, or at a reduced rate with difficulty. More specifically, it depends upon the ability of an individual to consciously perceive incoming sensory information and label, classify, organize, and compare it with information from other sensory modalities to help the individual interpret the incoming sensory information. The greater this ability, the faster an individual can acquire new concepts and learn. However, appropriate central processing cannot be assumed. Students will be independent, self-correcting learners to the extent that educators take the responsibility to identify, test for, and facilitate for each student the comparator function and central processing of sensory information so necessary to concept formation. For more background information, see xe2x80x9cSensory-cognitive factors in the controversy over reading instruction,xe2x80x9d by P. Lindamood, et al., The Journal of Developmental and Learning Disorders, Vol. 1 (No. 1), PP. 143-182, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Educators have been arguing whether to use decoding, sight word memorizing or language-context methods for teaching an individual to read. Research is revealing the importance of stimulating the sensory-cognitive functions of phonemic awareness and concept imagery if Educators want to prevent reading disorders in the first place, and successfully remediation of children and adults who do not have adequate sensory-cognitive capabilities. Similar debates have and are occurring in other areas of education.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a way to develop a curriculum for learning that enables one to stimulate cognitive processing to increase the ability of an individual to consciously perceive incoming sensory information and label, classify, organize, and compare it with information from other sensory modalities.
To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a method and a computer system of developing a curriculum for stimulating cognitive processing, and a curriculum product produced by the process. In one embodiment, the method includes placing at least one goal, objectives and skills for each of the objectives into a list, and assigning the objectives for the at least one goal to cognitive processing categories, the assigning causing the skills to be assigned. The method further includes dividing the skills into information processing stage classes, and arranging the skills initially based upon the information processing stage classes and subsequently upon the cognitive processing categories.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a computer system for developing a curriculum for stimulating cognitive processing. The computer system includes an objective subsystem configured to obtain at least one goal, objectives and skills for each of the objectives from a user. The computer system further includes a correlation subsystem configured to assign the objectives and the skills for each of the objectives to cognitive processing categories, the correlation subsystem further configured to divide the skills into information processing stage classes. The computer system still further includes a sequencing subsystem configured to sequence the skills initially based upon the information processing stage classes and subsequently upon the cognitive processing categories.
The present invention also provides, in one embodiment, a curriculum product produced by the process that includes: (1) placing at least one goal, objectives and skills for each of the objectives into a list, (2) assigning the objectives for the at least one goal to cognitive processing categories, the assigning causing the skills to be assigned, (3) dividing the skills into information processing stage classes, and (4) arranging the skills initially based upon the information processing stage classes and subsequently upon the cognitive processing categories.
The foregoing has outlined preferred and alternative features of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.